California in Brief / DUBLIN

Doctor arrested in sex assaults

A former Northern California doctor has been arrested on suspicion of drugging and sexually assaulting at least two men before fleeing to his native Taiwan two years ago.

Tony Shiu, 39, who had practiced general medicine in Dublin, near Oakland, was deported from Taiwan to the United States on Thursday and was arrested after his flight landed at San Francisco International Airport.

He was charged with felony sodomy, sexual penetration of an unconscious person, sexual assault during medical treatment and several misdemeanors related to the alleged assaults on the two men.

Shiu had lived in the United States for years, graduating from college and medical school before setting up his practice in Dublin.

Police began investigating him in August 2006 after two men reported that they had blacked out during an evening at Shiu's house.

Doctors found evidence that the men had been drugged with benzodiazepine tranquilizers and that one of them had been sexually assaulted, police said.

Police then searched the doctor's home and found 450 photos showing 19 unconscious and semi-nude men posed in examination rooms.

Investigators believe Shiu may have used intravenous lines to drug and subdue his victims.

Shiu was being held in lieu of $1-million bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.